Currently, there are a wide variety of different types of user input devices that are used with computers. Among them, computer keyboards are in wide use. Computer keyboards typically include a plurality of depressible keys. Each key usually incorporates an electrical or mechanical switch which signals key activation when the corresponding key is depressed.
In some current keyboards, these switches are implemented as packaged metal domes that are soldered to a printed circuit board. In other current embodiments they are elastomeric domes contacting traces on Mylar sheets.
In either case, it has been found that most users believe it is undesirable to have a keyboard manufactured such that the user can actually see the switch mechanism. This forces the key designs to be opaque in order to hide the actual switch mechanism, or at least to be dark translucent. However, some current industrial designers often desire computer input devices to have very clean lines and have at least the outer shells of the computer input devices be formed of transparent materials.
Capacitive touch sensing technology has been used in keyboards in the past. However this has been, by and large, limited to touch pads for tracking two dimensional movement, like cursor control. Such current capacitive keypad solutions do not provide tactile feedback, which can be very helpful in notifying the user that a selection event has actually occurred.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.